Dark Magician's Girl
by JadeEyedDreamer
Summary: Yugi's cousin moves in with a few surprises. YH vs. YB at a shadow game. Enjoy, .
1. Prologue: The Nightmares Begin

Jade: I decided to rewrite this when I was in a less hyper mood. I find this to be much better than the first one!  
Yami Himeko: *glares* I'm still only mentioned in this chapter.  
Jade: Actually, you did have a small part this time around.  
Yami Himeko: *rereads chapter* Where?! My hikari only talks about me, again!  
Jade: Looks like you'll have to see next chappie, YH.  
Yami Himeko: Hmph...  
Disclaimer: Jade does not own Yu-gi-oh and never ever will.

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_The Nightmares Begin_**

*Yami's POV*  
_It's cold. Cold and dark. I can barely make out the outline of my hand. This isn't the Shadow Realm or my soul room. It's never this dark there. I try to make my puzzle shine, but I am unable to. In fact I can't even feel my hikari. Our bond had grown too strong which made it impossible to completely cut off each other. //Aibou?// I try to call though our link. //Aibou can you hear me?// There is no answer. I see a light flicker in the distance. I run towards it. There has to be someone or something here! The light grows brighter as the distance grows shorter. I stop a few feet in front of it. It had been a mass of light that had the shape of a human. A short human with spikey hair much like... "Aibou, is that you?" The light lifts it's 'head' up and opens a pair of glowing iris eyes. It turns and runs from me. "Matte!" I call and start to run after it when a glowing pair of crimson eyes open in front of me. "Nani?!" I can barely make out an outline of a human. "Who are you?" I ask it. The eyes narrow and a red eyeball pops up behind it. A violet one pops up on my left with another red one next to it. Soon the whole area is filled with eyeballs including the 'floor.' Their irises glow and I clutch my head as the largest headache I've ever felt in my life overwhelms me.   
"Wow, they're so pretty!" I look around. Where did that voice come from?  
"I see you like them." That had been my voice!  
"Yeah, this is the best present you've ever given me!" I hear that girl's voice again. Who is she?  
"Anything to make you happy." My voice again. My nails dig into my scalp as an image of flowers pass through my mind.  
"Who are you?! Why are you doing this?!" I yell at the dark figure in front of me. It's eyes narrow and disappears with a soft chuckle echoing in the darkness. The red eyeballs narrow in a similar fashion and disappear. The violet ones blink twice and continue to stare at me. They close their eyelids and disappear as well. A stong, cold wind blows and I wrap myself in my jacket. The whole area is filled with hot, white light and..._

The alarm clock rings loudly. "It was just a dream," I whisper, opening my eyes and turning off the alarm clock. It's only a dream, nothing more. Yeah, right. Having the exact same dream for the last three months can't be good. Especially when it starts the same night I had beaten Malik back at Battle Tower. Crimson eyes, iris eyes, a girl's voice, flowers... I sigh and rub my temples. What did it all mean?

*Himeko's POV*  
Father called a few hours ago. He's going to be late again. Great, another night spent bored and alone. Technically I could never be alone. Not with a spirit that will always exist in the back of my head, but I may as well be alone. She hasn't been talking to me recently and whenever she does, it usually comes with another bruise or two on my tattered soul. My yami has been destroying me from the inside. She didn't dare come out of the earring and hurt me in the real world. My father would get suspicious of the bruises. I haven't gone into my soul room in a long time. The only time I go there now is when my yami orders me to. It had all started when my yami had been watching the t.v. and she saw my cousin, Yugi, dueling some guy called Otogi in a game called Dungeon Dice Monsters. That was the night when she had first beat me. I took a sip of soda and whispered, "Yami, why do you hate him so much?" I feel a pain in my chest and drop the can on the floor.

_I'm in a car, driving on the roads. I can't wait to surprise my daughter and tell her the good news. Oh shit! A cat! I turn the wheel to the left in order to avoid it. I try to turn it to the right, but the front end doesn't touch the ground anymore and I fall into the cliff. I let out a scream. I can feel the flames scorch my skin. Himeko, I'm sorry..._

I double over gasping. A vision... a vision of... A loud ring cuts through the air. It's the phone. Tears gather in my eyes as I slowly pick it up. 

About a week later...

*Yugi's POV*  
I stuff another forkful of pancakes in my mouth. Yami does the same, even though he doesn't have to eat. He says it makes him feel alive, so we always cook for him, too. The phone rings and jiisan picks it up. "Moshi moshi," he greets, "Yes, this is.......What?!......Yes, of course we'd be glad to.......When will her plane arrive...Tomorrow? Yes, that would be fine.....Understood, tomorrow at noon.....Alright, bye," he hung up the phone.  
"Who was that, jiisan?" I drink down a glass of orange juice.  
"You know your uncle, right?" I nod, vaguely remembering a family barbecue ten years ago. "Well, he has died in a car accident, and his daughter will be living with us now."

Jade: For those who read the first draft, you may notice that I don't mention the Dead Zone, or Himeko's mom this time. Why? Cause I found it to be quite irrelevent(sp?) at this time. Himeko's passage is altered pretty well, and I changed the third person POV to Yugi's POV.  
Himeko: Atleast the cat didn't get squished!  
Jade: O_O You're thinking about the cat, when you're father just died?!  
Himeko: What?! Cats are cute!  
Jade: -sighs- Please review...

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Aibou-partner  
Hikari-light  
Yami-darkness  
Matte!-Wait!  
Nani?!-What?!  
Jiisan-Grandpa  



	2. Chapter 1: Afraid of the Dark

Jade: Yay, someone reviewed! *throws confetti in the air*  
Yami Himeko: *wipes it out of her hair* Looks like somebody likes reading this atleast.  
Himeko: Arigatou, ShadowKat-Shidobukatsu for being Jade's first reviewer!  
Disclaimer: Jade still does not own Yu-gi-oh!

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_Afraid of the Dark_**

*Himeko's POV*  
The room is filled with potted flowers, and stuffed toys. The lighting was quite dim, reflecting my depression. I hug a blue stuffed bear, squeezing it tight. It makes me miss the days when I could hug my yami, when I felt this way. Something alive and warm. The door creaks as my yami opens the door to my soul room. I drop the bear and lower my head to the floor. "Yes, Yami-sama?" I say barely above a whisper. I listen to her footsteps as she walks toward me. She stops right in front of me. Her black leather boots only a few inches from my head.  
"What do you think of my handiwork, little hikari?" My head snaps up from the tone in her voice.   
"N-Nani?" I stutter. Yami smirks at me. "You know, your father's _'accident?'_" her voice cruel and taunting.  
"You mean...you had..." I stumble over my words. She nods and her smirk grows wider.  
"Meow," Her eyes change into the eyes of that same cat. There was a moment of silence, before I finally speak.  
"Why?" The tears gathering in my eyes as I spoke. My hands ball into fists, and my enitire body shaking. My yami kneels down to my level.  
"If you must know, my little hikari, it would be the easiest way to get to your cousin."  
"My cousin, Yugi? What did he ever do to you?" My yami's eyes narrow.  
"It wasn't Yugi that hurt me," she spoke with complete bitterness, "It was his yami, the pharaoh. I've waited 3000 years to pay him back, and you, my little hikari, are going to help me." I shake my head.   
"No, you're going to hurt them!" I scream. She slaps my face.  
"Shut up, slave!" My eyes widen. Slave, she called me slave! She grabs my shirt and pulls me close to her face. Her eyes filled with anger and rage. "Listen to me, you stupid brat! Stay close to Yugi and his yami! Get them to trust you!"  
"Then, you'll take over, when their guard is down, and hurt them?" I whisper softly. She let go of my shirt.  
"You'll see, little one," her voice was calmer. "Let's just say you shouldn't get attached to them. It won't hurt as much after I'm through with them." She turns and walks to my door. "One more thing," she says stopping at the door, "if you tell anyone, especially Yugi or his yami, about me...I'll condemn them to a fate much worse than death."  
"Wakata, Yami-sama," I whisper. She closes the door, leaving me alone in my soul room. "Oh Ra, how did this happen?" I whisper. My body shakes uncontrollably. My arms cross over my chest as I suddenly feel a cold chill blow through me. "She used to be so nice to me..."

~Flashback~  
_I run home crying. I run up the stairs and throw myself on the bed. I bury my head in my pillow as tears stream down. I feel a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong, aibou?" My yami was sitting on the bed next to me. I wrap my arms around her waist and cry into her blouse.  
"All the kids at school are picking on me. They call me a freak, because I see things." Yami wraps her arms around me.  
"It's okay... You're not a freak, aibou. You just have a special power that's all," she strokes my hair, "and there's nothing wrong with being special."_  
~End Flashback~

Yami was the mother I never had. But now, she is someone I've never seen before. "Oh Yami, what happened to you?" I whisper and break into tears.

*Yugi's POV*  
"Aibou, what kind of person is Himeko?" Yami asks me. I think for a minute.  
"I can't really seem to remember. It has been ten years," I say with my hand under my chin. Jiisan chuckles.  
"True, it has been ten years, but it is quite surprising you'd forget a girl like her," he continues to chuckle.  
//What's he talking about?// I send a mental shrug.   
"Don't tell me you forgot the wasabi and pickle brine incident?" Jiisan turns toward me.  
"Wasabi...brine..." I mutter and slap my hand to my forehead, "Oh yeah! I can't believe she talked me into doing that!"  
"Doing what?" Yami lifts up an eyebrow.  
"Himeko was quite the practical joker. She emptied all the bottles of barbecue sauce and replaced them with wasabi. When everyone bit into their meal they'd run to the water cooler which Yugi had filled with pickle brine," Jiisan explains and we all laugh, "And when her father was about to scold her..."  
"She gave him these eyes," I demonstrate for Yami. He chuckles.  
"I guess she got out of that safely." I nod.  
"Hai, she taught me that trick, too!" I smile.   
"So, she's the one I can blame for that trick," he chuckles, "Sounds like she was quite the troublemaker." I nod. I close my eyes and sit back in the black leather chair. I wonder... if she is still like that. Ten years have passed. She could have outgrown it by now. She could be much worser than she was then, or she could even be... I rub my wrists nervously and dismiss the thought. She wouldn't try that. Would she?  
"Flight Los Angeles to Domino has arrived. Flight Los Angeles to Domino has arrived," the speaker calls through out the airport.  
"Looks like Himeko's plane is here," Jiisan stands up. Yami and I follow. We walk to the unloading area. A few minutes later we barely see her in the crowd. She had the Mutou lightning bangs and black hair similar to Mokuba's. She was about my size, too. Looks like I'm not going to be the only short kid in school anymore.   
"Hey, Himeko!" I call and wave my hand. Her head turns and she smiles. She walks over to us.  
"Hey Yugi," she greets me and turns to jiisan, "Hello, grandfather."  
"It's been awhile hasn't it Himeko?" She nods.   
"Yes, it has," she looks at Yami for a second and looks away, "I-I'm sorry. I don't remember you."  
"My name is Yami. I'm Yugi's older brother, and I wasn't able to make it to the barbecue," he holds his hand out. She slowly takes it and shakes it lightly.  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she whispers without looking at him. I cock my head. Is she scared of Yami?

*Yami's POV*  
She hasn't looked at me since we shook hands. I load another one of her suitcases in the trunk. Why? I haven't given her any reason to be afraid of me. Or have I? As pharaoh, fear was one of the easiest ways to gain respect. Maybe, I still give off that air, but nobody else at school is afraid of me. Besides the bullies that used to pick on my aibou of course.   
/I'm sure, she's just being shy./  
//Shy? I guess that's a possibility, though from the way you described her, it wouldn't have fit in her category.//  
/Yeah, but ten years have passed, and her parents are dead. People change, Yami./  
//You're probably right, aibou. It's nothing to worry about.// I send a mental smile. I sit in the back of the car with Yugi, while Himeko sits in the front with jiisan. She stares blankly out the window. A few hours later...  
/Yami, how much longer are you going to stare at Himeko?/  
//I'm not staring, aibou.//  
/She'll be fine, Yami. Don't worry too much./ A tear rolls down Himeko's cheek and she wipes it away. I hope you're right, aibou. I hope you're right.

Jade: Alright, first chapter done!  
Yami Himeko: O_O I was the CAT last chapter?!  
Himeko: O_O And I called you cute!  
Yami Himeko: What was that?!  
Himeko: Shutting up now!  
Yami Himeko: *mutters Egyptian curses* Review or I'll beat my hikari some more!

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Wakatta-Understood  
-sama-Master, lord (used in high respect)  
Wasabi-A very hot sauce in Japan  
Hai-yes, yeah, yup, right


	3. Chapter 2: Three Fair Maidens

Yami Himeko: Drat! Someone reviewed!  
Himeko:*smiles* Thank you Caterfree10 for sparing me from my Yami's wrath!  
Jade: Thank you, ShadowKat for sticking around!  
Disclaimer: Jade does not own Yu-gi-oh! but she does own Himeko and her yami. 

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_Three Fair Maidens_**

*Himeko's POV*  
The bell on the door rings as I enter the quaint little game shop. Games of all sorts line the shelves. The main focus seems to be Duel Monsters. I pick up a starter deck of cards and read the back.  
"Do you play Duel Monsters, Himeko-san?" Yugi asks me. I place the deck back on the shelf, turn to him, and smile.  
"Yes, it's quite fun," I fake a light giggle, "maybe we should play sometime, ne Yugi-kun?"  
"Sure," he smiles at me. His seems fake as well. He's clearly trying to be optimistic around me, but I can tell he's concerned.  
//Concerned?// I inwardly jump at the sound of my yami's voice. //It's just pity. Why would anyone care about an insignificant creature like you?// I clench my fists and force another bright smile on my face.  
"So, where will I be sleeping?"

Yami and Yugi bring me to a door on the second floor. Yugi opens it slowly and I look inside. It is very plain and simple. Everything is white except for the brown dresser and headboard. The floor isn't covered by a rug. An empty closet is open next to the dresser. There is a window letting the sun shine into the room. It is a very simple room indeed.   
//Suits you well, hikari. Looks like a peasant's home if you ask me.//  
/Nobody asked you./  
//What was that?!// I flinch.  
"I know this place doesn't look like much, but we tried to make it cozy," Yugi says to me.  
"No, it is very nice," I turn and bow to them, "Yugi-kun, Yami-kun, arigatou!"  
"Douitashimashite," they reply in complete unison. Yugi turns to Yami.  
"Jinx!" he points his finger at Yami. Yami raises an eyebrow.  
"Jinx?" Yugi gives him a light punch on the arm. "What did you do that for?" Yugi punches him again. I place my hand over my mouth and let out a soft giggle.  
"You're not supposed to talk when you're 'jinxed,' until someone says your name." Yami's eyes widen in confusion. He makes a quick glance at Yugi, who slightly turns his head. I guess they're talking through their mental link. After a minute Yugi's gaze averts toward me.  
"Would you like some help unpacking, Himeko-san?"

*Yami's POV*  
She nods and smiles. "Yes, I'd like that very much," she turns to me, "Y-you can help, too." She quickly turns away and places her neatly folded clothes in the dresser. I sigh softly. She still seems to be 'shy' around me. Her eyes had sparkled when she was explaining the rules of this 'jinx' game. A really pointless game if you ask me, but the 'circle game' was, too. Who made these games anyway? Well, atleast I can still communicate with aibou, if I need to ask questions or something of the sort. I pull out one of her suitcases from the pile and open it. There are notebooks, folders, binders, and a transparent kit filled with coloring pencils of all the colors the human mind can think of. I open one of her notebooks. The first page has three female figures that resemble Himeko in a way. The one on the left looks like an innocent angel with long, golden hair, iris eyes, a flowing white gown, pale, milky skin and delicate looking white-feathered wings. A hieroglyph of Isis is inscribed on her forehead. The one on the right looks like a desirable demon, with long, black hair, blood-red eyes, a revealing, black leather outifti, dark skin, and majestic black leather wings. A hieroglyph of Osiris is inscribed on her forehead. The last one, the woman in the middle, resembles a beautiful egyptian goddess. She is dressed in the traditional attire of the queen of Egypt. Her tanned skin is painted with lines all over her body in intricate detail. Her bangs are blond and her hair is black, stretching to her feet. Her eyes are a mix of violet and crimson. She has two pair of wings, like a butterfly. One pair is black-feathered and the other is white-leathered. The hieroglyph of Ra is inscribed on her forehead.  
//Aibou, take a look at this.//  
/What are you looking at, Yami?/  
//_Look._// Yugi sighs and walks over to where I am sitting. He peers over my shoulder and lets out a soft gasp.

*Yugi's POV*  
"Himeko-san, did you draw this?!" I all but shout. Her head snaps backwards, and her eyes widen. She runs over and snatches it out of Yami's hands. We look at her with confusion. "Himeko-san?"  
"Gomen nasai," her gaze turns to her feet, "The drawings in this book are very personal." She places the book inside one of the small drawers of her dresser. She turns with a smile on her face. "Feel free to look at the other ones if you like."  
"Okay," I open one of the binders. It is filled with Duel Monsters cards. I scan the cards she have and my eyes widen. She has all five pieces of Exodia! "Yami, look at this!" I whisper. He looks at the binder and his eyes widen, too. We look through the binder and find many more rare cards.  
"Himeko, how did you get all these cards?" Yami asks. She turns around slowly staring at the ground.  
"O-Otousan, was the head of an American company that worked with Kaiba Corp. and Industrial Illusions," her voice starting to break, "Sometimes, he would give me rare cards, for my birthday or Christmas, if I had been a good girl." She rubs her eyes with her arm. "But that won't happen anymore." She stiffens for a minute. "Besides, what's gone is gone." She stiffens again. "Because of me..." she softly whispers.  
"Himeko-san?" I whisper and take one step forward.  
"Yugi-kun," she whispers.  
"Hai?"  
"I challenge you."  
"Nani?" My eyes widen. She smiles.  
"Please, Yugi-kun," her eyes look strangely vacant, "dueling is the only way I..." I wait for her to finish, but she doesn't. After a few minutes I nod.  
"Okay Himeko, I accept."

Jade: Well, this chapter was supposed to be a little longer, but I'm getting tired.  
Himeko: Speaking of which what just happened up there?  
Jade: I think your yami isn't the only crazy one.  
Himeko:*crosses arms* I am NOT crazy.  
Yami Himeko: Another thing, when does my POV get put up?!  
Jade: I think I could fit you in next chappie. Well, next we have a light vs. light showdown! Who do you think will win?  
Himeko: It's not really a showdown. It's just a friendly duel, really.  
Jade: I'm trying to dramatize it, okay?  
Himeko: Oh.  
Yami Himeko: *scoffs* Baka na hikari.

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Ne-Isn't it?, shouldn't we?, right?  
-kun-attachment females would usually use for a boy around their age, or a student  
Arigatou-Thank you  
Douitashimashite-You're welcome.  
-san-A general, polite attachment to a name  
Gomen nasai-I'm sorry  
(Note: I'm not fluent with japanese, so correct me if I get anything wrong.)


	4. Chapter 3: Fighting Spirit

Jade: Sorry for taking so long to update! School has been complete HELL all week!  
Yami Himeko: I could banish a few teachers to the Shadow Realm or deal out some game penalties if you'd like.  
Jade: Nope, don't think so. You only exist in my stories, so too bad.  
Yami Himeko: *sigh* Oh well. *insane look* Now where's my hikari?   
Jade: RedHot, I mentioned back in chapter one, but since you missed it, 'nani' means 'what.'  
Disclaimer: Jade does not own Yu-gi-oh! but she does own Himeko and her yami. When do I get paid for this?   
Jade: Uh.. when you add ten decades to the current year, subtract three centuries, and multiply by five years.  
Disclaimer: *pulls out a calculator and realizes he doesn't know how to use it* Uh...how long is a decade?

Note On Duel POV: This POV switches between the two duelists' point of views. The numbers by their name is their total life points and the numbers by the name of monsters are their original attk/def points.

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_Fighting Spirit_**

*Himeko's POV*  
~Flashback~  
_"Himeko, how did you get all these cards?" Yami's voice interrupts my train of thought. I stiffen at first as a rush of memories fill my head. I slowly turn around, keeping my gaze to the ground. Yami's eyes were so much like my yami's. She wants me to get close to him, but how can I when he reminds me of her?  
"O-Otousan, was the head of an American company that worked with Kaiba Corp. and Industrial Illusions," I start, but my voice is already beginning to waver, "Sometimes, he would give me rare cards, for my birthday or Christmas, if I had been a good girl." I rub at my eyes to prevent the tears from flowing. "But that won't happen anymore."  
//And whose fault would that be?// I could feel her mockery flow through me. What should I reply? True, she was the actual one that had caused the accident, but... //But, I wouldn't have needed to if that damned pharaoh hadn't...// My yami's mental voice trailed off. I can't blame this on Yugi's yami, or Yugi. Yugi had only found the item, and Yami hadn't even known of me I bet. Who's left to blame?  
"Because of me..." I whisper outloud. It's my fault. I couldn't stop her. I'm her hikari, I should have known, but I didn't...  
"Himeko-san?" a voice barely audible reaches my ears. My eyes are misted and the world is being blurred.  
//That's right, it's your fault for being weak, hikari.//  
/Please leave me alone./ I plead. I hear her laugh.  
//Pathetic.// I feel a mental grin through our link. //How about a way to possibly redeem yourself?//  
/Nani?/  
//It's nothing big. I want you to duel the pharaoh's hikari.//  
/Yugi?/ I feel a mental nod.  
//That's right. Let's see how strong you are. Prove your worth to me and this world, little hikari. Prove to me that you are worthy of being my vessel.// I let her words sink in. I lift my head slightly.  
"Yugi-kun," I whisper softly.  
"Hai?"  
"I challenge you."  
_ ~End Flashback~

So, now I'll battle Yugi. I'll prove my strength to my yami. I'll show you, my yami, the strength of a person's fighting spirit. The strength of the human heart. "Good to hear it, Yugi," I let out a twinge of a real smile. I walk over to one of my other suitcases and open it. Inside is a small cardboard box. I pull it out.  
"Sore wa?" Yugi asks as I open it and pull out a mat.  
"Like I said earlier, my father's company worked with Kaiba Corp. and Industrial Illusions. This is the prototype for a duel system he had been working on." I spread the mat on the floor. This is the battlefield the monsters, traps, and magic cards would have their images projected on. I placed two small panels on each side. These panels would project the images as well as analyze all the cards played. Finally I pulled out a pair of visors. I hand one to Yugi.  
"Kore wa?" he turns it over.  
"There are a few new tricks in this game. He programmed different effects in some of the magic, trap, and monster cards. He even added effects to some of the weaker and stronger monsters of the game. The visor will make it so you can see the new effects written on the cards." I place the visor in front of my eyes and push the button on the side.  
"Oh, like what?"  
"The Spellbinding Circle can only keep a monster from attacking. It doesn't decrease it's attack points anymore," I pull my deck out of my pocket. I sit cross-legged on the floor and shuffle it. Yugi does the same. "May I go first?" He nods and I grin. I draw five cards.  
"Let's duel!" we speak in unison.

*Duel POV*  
Himeko (8000): I draw a card, the Gravekeeper's Servant. A good opening card. "First, I play the magic card, Gravekeeper's Servant." A hologram of a shadow stands in the magic zone. Yugi looks over as his visor scans the card's effect.  
Yugi(8000): So, Gravekeeper's Servant makes me send the top card of my deck to the graveyard every time I attack? Hmmm... an interesting card...  
Himeko (8000): "Then I set this card, and end my turn."  
Yugi (8000): I draw a card, and look over all the cards in my hand. "I summon the Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) and have him attack your face-down monster!" The shadow hologram runs over to Yugi's deck and picks up the card on the top of the deck, Horn Imp (1300/1000). The mini-Celtic Guardian swings his sword and Himeko flips over her card.  
Himeko (8000): Sorry Yugi-kun, but my monster was the Wall of Illusion (1000/1850).  
Yugi (8000): "Wall of Illusion's defense points are higher than my Celtic Guardian's attack, which means I'll lose life points." The mini-hologram staggered in pain from back-lash. Himeko (8000): "Not only that, but my Wall of Illusion's effect sends Celtic Guardian back to your hand."  
Yugi (7550): "I play this card face-down and end my turn."  
Himeko (8000): I draw a card. I take a quick look over my cards before I play. "First, I play the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon and destroy your card." A hologram of a storm appears over the card which is revealed to be Spellbinding Circle. It explodes into little fragments. "Then, I summon Beautiful Headhuntress and attack." She runs toward Yugi and attacks him directly. He puts his arm up from the impact. Just because my father had made them smaller didn't mean they were any weaker than Kaiba's disc duel system. " I play one more card face-down. That ends my turn."  
Yugi (5950): I draw my card and look it over. It's the Magical Hats, but the effect is different. This could help me out later. "First, I play one card facedown and I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600). Beta the Magnet Warrior attack!" The shadow pulls my Dark Magician (2500/2100) into the graveyard. I frown while Himeko's eyes brighten by the action. Beta sends the huntress to the graveyard.  
Himeko (7900): He finally damaged my life points, but my yami did tell me he had a tendency to claim victory after being shoved in a corner. I have to make sure I don't give him the chance. "I summon Gemini Elf (1900/900) and attack Beta the Magnet Warrior!"  
Yugi (5950): "I activate my trap card, Magical Hats!"  
Himeko (7900): "And I counter your trap with Seven Tools of the Bandit! I sacrifice 1000 lifepoints in order to eliminate the Magical Hats!" The hats explode and Gemini Elf's attack continues, sending Beta to the graveyard. "That finishes my turn."  
Yugi (5750): I draw a card. The Summoned Skull (2500/1200)! It's level is too high though. I sigh and set a card. "Your turn, Himeko."  
Himeko (6900): "Hai," I draw Pot of Greed and play it. I draw two more cards, Change of Heart and Dark Magician Girl. "First, I play Change of Heart and take the monster you have set." The change of heart hologram reveals that the card was Mystical Elf and brings it to my side. "Now, I sacrifice your monster to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!"  
Yugi (5750): The Dark Magician in my graveyard increases her strength, making her attack at 2300!  
Himeko (6900): "Gemini Elf, Dark Magician Girl attack!"  
Yugi (1550): Not good. C'mon deck, I need a good card! I hold my breath as I draw my card. Yes! "Swords of Revealing Light!"  
Himeko (6900): Oh great, if what my yami told me was true, than Yugi is going to make a comeback now. I have to prevent it somehow!  
Yugi (1550): "I summon Kuriboh (300/200)! That ends my turn."  
Himeko (6900): Kuriboh? He'll either sacrifice it for something stronger, or use it with multiply. I draw a card. "I equip Dark Magician Girl with Malevolent Nuzzler increasing her attack to 3000. Then I set this card and end my turn."  
Yugi (1550): I draw a card. "There's nothing I can do this turn."  
Himeko (6900): I draw a card. "I sacrifice both my monsters in defense mode and summon Dark Magician. I equip him with the Black Pendant, which increases his attack to 3000 as well, and end my turn." My eyes narrow. Yugi must feel like he's facing two Blue Eyes right now.   
Yugi (1550): I draw a card. Yes! "I play Brain Control and take over your Dark Magician." A holgram of a brain with hands reaches out and clutches Dark Magician's head. He moves to my side of the field. "Now, I play Dark Magic Ritual sacrificing Kuriboh and Dark Magician." The Black Pendant hologram explodes and Himeko's life points decrease by 500 points. The Magician of Black Chaos (2800/2600) appears. "Now, I equip the Magician of Black Chaos with Book of Secret Arts making his attack at 3100, and I play Reborn the Monster to bring back my Dark Magician. Attack!" The Magician of Black Chaos destroys Dark Magician Girl, and the Dark Magician destroys Gemini Elf. The Gravekeeper's Servant drags Mystical Moon and Lightforce Sword into the graveyard.  
Himeko (6200): Just great. He has two of the strongest magicians in the game on the field now. How the heck am I supposed to beat that? I've already played my best cards! I sigh and draw a card. Looks like all I can do is stall for now. "I set this card and end my turn."  
Yugi (1550): "I summon Silver Fang (1200/800)!" Silver Fang destroys Hibikime (1450/1000), and the other two make a direct attack. The servant drags a monster card and two trap cards into the graveyard. "I play this card facedown and end my turn."  
Himeko (600): Oh no. C'mon deck, please! Give me a card that I can win with! Please, I have to prove my strength to my yami! I draw my card hesitantely. Yes! "I play Dark Hole!" Yugi's monsters are sucked into a vortex. "I summon Skull Red Bird (1550/1200)! Skull Red Bird attack!"  
Yugi (1550): "Sorry Himeko-san, I activate my trap card Mirror Force which reflects your attack right back at you."  
Himeko (600): No... Yugi can defeat me with just about any card in his deck now! A tear streams down my cheek. "Alright Yugi-kun, finish me..."  
Yugi (1550): She's crying... Winning doesn't mean that much to you, does it? People win. People lose. That's life, Himeko-san. "I summon Celtic Guardian! Celtic Guardian attack!" 

*Yami's POV*  
"Well done, Yugi," she smiles and gathers her cards.  
"You were really tough, Himeko. Have you ever participated in a tournament?" my aibou asks. She shakes her head.  
"Thanks for the compliment," her eyes stare at the ground and her voice is shakey.  
"You ARE good Himeko. You shouldn't doubt your abilities," I state.  
"Arigatou, Yami. You don't know how much that means to me," her body shakes uncontrollably and she drops her deck. The cards scatter all over the floor. Her arms cross over her chest.  
"Himeko-san, doushita no?" Yugi asks placing his hand on her shoulder. She shrinks back.  
"S-samui," her teeth chatter, "s-sa-mu-i..." My eyebrows raise a bit. She's cold? It's atleast 70 degrees in here! I take off my jacket and place it over her shoulders anyway. She wraps it around her as her knuckles turn white. Her head is close to the floor and I can't see her face with her raven hair. I kneel down, place my hand under her chin and tilt her head up. I let out a soft gasp. Her eyes were empty and tears flowed endlessly down her cheeks.

*Yami Himeko's POV*  
"Yami-sama, I did my best!" she cries, backed up to the wall. I punch her hard in the stomach and she coughs up blood.  
"Your best is not good enough, you piece of shit!" she is still doubled over as I elbow her back, smashing her head to the floor. She lets out soft whimpers. "Pathetic weakling!" I yell and kick her hard in the ribs. She flies into the wall of her soul room and lands on her back.   
"Gomen...nasai..." she whispers softly. I turn away.  
"Pathetic..."

Jade: Finally got this chapter done!  
Himeko: Is my life going to get any better anytime soon?  
Jade: If I keep writing at this rate then it's going to take quite a while. Especially since my grades are starting to slip.  
Himeko: Oh great...  
Yami Himeko: Ah, there's my hikari! *pulls out a whip*  
Himeko: O_O *runs like the devil is after her* What do you mean? The devil is after me!  
Yami Himeko: You'll regret comparing me to that black winged, horned freak!  
Jade: -_-; Uh, review please?

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Otousan-father  
Sore wa-What's that, That is...  
Kore wa-What's this, This is...  
Samui-Cold (temperature)  
(Note: I'm not fluent with japanese, so correct me if I get anything wrong and let me know if I forget any words from any of my other chapters.)


	5. Chapter 4: 3000 Year Old Secrets

Jade: So sorry, it took about a month to update!  
Yami Himeko: What's your excuse this time?  
Jade: I had the flu, and I was just plain lazy? Oh, I also bought Skies of Arcadia Legends and I've been working on that, too! ^__^  
Yami Himeko: Those video games rot your mind, you know.  
Himeko: *snores loudly*  
Yami Himeko: Hmph. Gaki.  
Jade: Oh yeah! Here's a warning:** Yami Himeko's monologue (at the end of chapter) may not be suitable for close-minded children.** I also have a mini poll which you can read at the bottam!  
Disclaimer: There is no way Jade's parents will ever buy Yu-gi-oh! for her. However, Himeko and her yami are all hers. 

**Red Hot**: Nani means "What?" ("Nan", and "Nanda" as well.)

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_3000 Year Old Secrets_**

*Yami's POV*  
"Will she be okay, mou hitori no boku?" my aibou asks me. I wave my hand in front of Himeko's face. Her eyes continue to stare into space.  
"Shiranaide," I reply. Suddenly, Himeko's eyes are filled with emotion and she lunges at me.  
"Gomen nasai. Gomen nasai," she repeats as she cries into my shirt. Hesitantely, I wrap my arms around her sobbing form.  
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Himeko. You have done nothing wrong," I whisper in her ear. She tenses and pulls away from me. She blinks away a few tears and her shoulders sag.  
"Yami-kun?"  
"Yes?"  
"I'm kind of tired. Can you leave me alone for a while?" she stares at the ground.  
"Of course. C'mon aibou," I gently push him out the door. He looks at Himeko as the door closes.   
"Arigatou," I hear her whisper just as the door shuts.  
/It's my fault, Yami./  
//What do you mean?//  
/She broke down, because I had beaten her in the duel.//  
//I don't think that's the reason, aibou.//  
/But, she broke down right after she lost!/  
//She was already breaking down when she challenged you.//  
/Demo.../  
//It's **NOT** your fault.// Yugi still looks uncertain. I sigh and rub my forehead. I'm sure Himeko wouldn't break down just because of one duel. Then again, Kaiba had... The bell above the door of the gameshop rings, interrupting my thoughts. "C'mon aibou, we've got work to do." He nods.

*Jounouchi's POV*  
"Hey, Yug!" I call out. Yugi rushes down the stairs followed closely by Yami.   
"Hey, Jounouchi-kun! Buying some cards?"  
"Oh yeah! Gotta get ready for that tournament, you know! You're entering, right Yug?" Yugi nods. "By the way, Anzu told me that your cousin's coming today. Where is she?"  
"She's sleeping. Jet lag, you know." Yugi seems a little uneasy about something. Hmmm...  
"Hey Yug, she cute?"  
"Sorta, I guess," his hand rubs behind his head.  
"Think I got a shot at her?"  
"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi exclaims.  
"Hey, I'm just kidding! I still got Mai, you know." I look around the store. "Hey, where'd Yami go?" Yugi looks around the room. Then he has that spaced-out look on his face he always gets when he's communicating with Yami.  
"Yami is in his soul room. He says he has something important to do."  
"Is that so?" There's a loud knock on the door.  
"Those must be the new cards. Coming!" Yugi dashes over to the door. I scan the card case. As I look over the Duel Monsters I can't help, but realize how much time flies by. Three months ago, I was a complete rookie, but I had still been able to place second at Duelist Kingdom, and I did a pretty good job against Malik, too. Now, I'm one of the top duelists in Japan. I hear a loud grunt behind me and turn around. Yug held a rather large box in his arms.  
"Need a hand, Yug?"  
"No, I'm fine..." he waves his hand in a 'don't worry' motion and drops the box, missing his feet by a mere millimeter. I bend over and pick it up with relative ease. Yug scratches the back of his head with a goofy grin. 

*Yami's POV*  
_I'm in the darkness, but somehow it's different. It's still dark, but I can actually see more than the outline of my hand. It's still cold, but I don't shiver as violently. Why? "Is anybody out there?" A soft giggle echoes through the darkness. I look around trying to find the source. There is a quick flash of light and I shield my eyes. When the light dims down I move my arm. My eyes widen for a second. It's the light that always runs away from me. Why isn't it running away now? "Who are you? You're not my aibou." I hear another giggle and it's iris eyes glow. It takes a step toward me. (Stay away...) What the? A voice in my head? "What's going on?" I ask the light. (Stay away...) It starts to fade. "Matte! Who are you?!" I reach out for it. Something grabs my shoulder as the light fades completely. I turn my gaze to my back and meet with a pair of crimson eyes similar to my own. It's the dark figure again. I feel it push against my back and I fall into an unseen abyss. I can hear it's horrible laugh echoing behind me._

I awake and sit up in bed. I quickly scan my surroundings. I let out a somewhat relieved sigh. I'm back in my soul room. What had all that been about? For three months I have the exact same dream until now. Now the light approaches me and someone else, if not the light, is telling me to stay away. Stay away from what? Stay away from the light? I rub my temples. Ra, this is confusing.  
/Yami-kun, you awake, yet?/  
//Aibou? Yeah, I'm up.//  
/Good, the truck just arrived./  
//About time. I'll be there in a minute.// I stretch my arms when something catches my eye. There's something at the foot of my bed. A flower, an iris...

*Yami Himeko's POV*  
My aibou is resting... She looks so peaceful. Much different from when she is awake. She's always jumpy and whiny when she's awake. She needs to toughen up a bit. I sigh. However, I overdid it again. That beating hurt her more than I intended. Atleast she isn't spiritually bleeding this time. Thank Ra for that. I hope you will understand someday, little one. I'm doing this to help you. There are people who would not hesitate to take advantage of you. Like your father. I hope you'll never learn of what happens at night after your father comes home late. How he would go into his room with a bottle. How he would come out in a drunken stupor, muttering your name. "Himeko, Daddy loves you." I shiver as I remember those words. When that had happened I would separate from your body and take your place, aibou. I took the brunt of those attacks, every night. A yami can't help, but protect the hikari. Even if I had to relive those nights 3000 years ago. 

~Flashback~  
_"Summoned Skull destroy the Gemini Elf!" the pharaoh orders. I watch as Gemini Elf's tablet is destroyed. "I win, Himeko." He smirks at me. His crimson eyes, so similar to mine, bore into me. "You'll have to be punished." He pushes me flat against the wall.  
"P-Pharaoh-sama. Please...I'll do better..." His smirk widens.  
"Of course you'll do better. I know you can." For a minute I can see the kindness he had shown me years ago. He looks like the pharaoh who had cared for his people and me. His eyes become cold once more. "You'll do better, little Himeko." His words coming out like a purr as his lips claim mine._  
~End Flashback~

My body's trembling. I can't stop shaking. I feel it rise in me again. I bolt out of my hikari's soul room into my own. I lock the door behind me. "She hasn't done anything. She hasn't done anything." I repeat over and over again. I WILL not take this out on my hikari. I WILL NOT! "Pharaoh...you'll pay..." I laugh like those psychos on tv. "YOU'LL PAY! I'll KILL YOU JUST AS I DID HIMEKO'S FATHER!" I chuckle with a weird cross of elation and anger. Is this insanity? "Oh yes! You'll pay!" I pull a dagger out of a drawer. I make crimson lines all over my arm. "Oh, you'll pay. You'll pay dearly." I lap the blood that trails down my arm. A cross of bitter and sweet is how I would describe the taste of my blood. A grin spreads across my face. I wonder how the pharaoh's blood tastes... "Only one way to find out..."

Yami Himeko: What the hell was that?!  
Jade: That was you. Tell me if you think this should go up a rating, now. It didn't seem that bad, but hey, I'm not good at judging what's appropriate for thirteen year olds.  
Himeko: *snores*  
Yami Himeko: Typical hikari. Sleeps the chapter away.  
Jade: One more thing! I'm kinda in a dilemna. One part of me wants this to be yuri while the other part wants to stick with the original non-yuri relationship (not telling which boy she was supposed to pair up with.) There won't be any major changes, just a reversal of roles. Don't rush to the polls either. Romance doesn't come in for a few chapters, so go ahead and take your time.  
Yami Himeko: Yuri?! With this brat?! You have got be kidding me!  
Jade: *shrugs* Doesn't sound too bad, plus this will seem less of a Mary Sue. Review please!

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Mou hitori no boku- other me (this is supposed to be what Yugi usually calls Yami, I believe)  
Mou- Another  
Hitori- One  
No- of  
Boku- I, me (masculine)  
Shiranai de- I don't know.  
Gaki-brat  
Yuri- Girl/Girl relationship  
Jounouchi- Joey (Jap/Dub)  
Anzu- Tea (Jap/Dub)


	6. Chapter 5: Calm After the Storm

Jade: Sorry, folks! I've had a major writer's block. I know what I want a couple of chapters from now. I just didn't know what I wanted for this chapter. Thanks for sticking with me reviewers!  
Himeko: *bubble pops* Hey...what's going?  
Yami Himeko: About time you woke up.  
Himeko: I was sleeping? Oh...okay...  
Yami Himeko: Looks like you're still asleep to me. Catch!  
Himeko: What's this?  
Yami Himeko: Caffeinated soda.  
Himeko: Oh. *chugs it down*  
Disclaimer: Jade does not control destiny. She will never own Yu-gi-oh!, but she does get two of the moodiest girls in the fanfic!

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_Calm After the Storm_**

*Himeko's POV*  
My eyelids open slowly. It's been a long time since I had a peaceful, dreamless sleep. I rub my eyes a bit. I raise my arms above my head and let out a loud yawn. My eye catches a figure blocked by my golden bangs. I move them out of the way. Leaning out the window is my yami, transparent and ghost-like. "Yami-sama?" I whisper softly. Her head turns a little to look at me. Her face unreadable, as usual.   
//Morning...hikari...// I hear her say through our link. It's strange, she sounds tired.  
/Yami-sama, what's going on?/ She doesn't answer as she turns her head back to the window.  
//Beautiful, isn't it?// I look beyond her back. The sun is starting to set. The sky painted a deep red. I nod mentally.  
/It is.../ I nervously twirl my hair around my finger. /Yami-sama, are you feeling okay?/ I hear a light chuckle through our link.  
//I'm a confusing person, ain't I?// I hear another light chuckle. //Try being screwed a hundred times over in your lifetime. Someone up there must hate me.// I feel the hate and bitterness starting to flow through our link.  
"Y-Yami-sama?" I stammer outloud. She shakes her head and turns to me.   
"There are a bunch of kids outside with the pharaoh," she motions for me to look out the window. I walk over, using my arms to boost my small frame, so I can lean out the window. Yugi, his yami, and three other people are standing outside the shop. A tall, brunette and a blond seem to be in a heated arguement. The only girl in the group is watching from the sidelines along with Yugi, and his yami. Her head moves and catches sight of me. She turns to Yugi. Yugi looks at me and smiles.  
"Hey, Himeko-san! You feeling better?" he calls out. The rest of the group turns to me. I nod, forcing a smile.   
"Yes, I'm feeling much better."  
"That's great! Why don't you come down, so you can meet my friends?!" he calls with a wave. I glance at my yami, who nods unemotionally.  
"Okay, I'm coming!" I throw on my purple vest as my yami fades back into my earring. 

*Anzu's POV*  
Whoa, this is just plain freaky. Is Himeko really just Yugi's cousin? She could be his sister. Heck, his twin if her hair was shorter with red highlights.  
"Hello, minna. I'm Himeko Mutou," she bows, "I'm pleased to meet you."  
"Hiroto Honda."  
"Katsuya Jounouchi, but my friends call me Jou."  
"And I'm Anzu Mazaki," I clasp my hands and smile, "What do you think about Domino?"  
"Well...." she rubs her hands nervously. The metal buckles on her wrists making soft clangs as they rub each other. "It's a nice neighborhood." Her eyes staring at the ground. My smile widens. Time for one of my good old pep talks!  
"Don't worry, Himeko. We're friends here. Feel free to..."  
"Friends?" Himeko cuts me off with a wide-eyed stare.  
"Yes, and as friends we will always..." I am cut off again when I feel a tap on my shoulder.  
"Now's not the time, Anzu," Honda points out. Himeko is freakishly staring at me. Her whole body's shaking.  
"Himeko-san?" Yugi asks in concern. Her gaze doesn't leave mine.  
"Himeko," Yami's commanding, yet calm voice pierces the tensed atmosphere in the group. Himeko blinks and looks at Yami, "are you alright?"  
"Y-Yes," Her eyes move to the side, "I'm fine." Silence fills the group. Himeko is still shaking. I couldn't help, but be reminded of a stray kitten lost in an alley way. I clasp my hands and smile.  
"So, shall we be going?" 

"Surprise! Welcome to Domino!" Screams fill the air as soon as the light switch is flipped on. There are a few balloons strewn around the area, with a big banner reading "Welcome!" hanging from the ceiling. Himeko's eyes widen in shock and confusion.  
"Wow! All this for me?!" Her eyes sparkle. Yugi looks perplexed, while Yami still has his calm, cool stance.  
"That's right. Anzu called us all last night to arrange a party for Yugi's cousin. You should have let us known sooner, hon. Then we really could have fixed this place up," Mai winks at Himeko.  
"What do you mean by that? Isn't my place good enough as it is?" I huff. She smirks.  
"Honestly, hon, I've seen street bums live in better homes." God, she's so arrogant!  
"Anyway," I turn to Himeko, "this is Mai Kujaku, Ryuuji Otogi, Shizuka Jounouchi, Mokuba Kaiba, and Seto Kaiba is over there on the couch."  
"Kaiba?!" Jou's voice raises in disgust, "what's he doing here?"  
"Don't think I wanted to come, mutt. I'm only here, cause Mokuba wanted me to be."  
"I'm not a mutt!"  
"Don't mind them. They're always like that," Mokuba explains to Himeko, "I brought my Gamecube over. Wanna play?"  
"Gamecube, ne? Got Melee?" her eyes brighten.  
"Yup, anyone else wanna join?" he eyes Kaiba.  
"No, Mokuba."  
"Please, big brother?" He gives him trademark puppy dog eyes. I wonder whose eyes are stronger. Yugi's or Mokuba's? Kaiba sighs in defeat.  
"Alright, I'll play."  
"Great, anyone else wanna play?"  
"How about you, Yami?" Kaiba smirks at Yami. Here we go again.  
"Is that a challenge?"  
"What else would it be?"  
"You're on!" The four sit on the sofa with game controllers in their hand. Everyone else sat around them. Jounouchi and Honda were fighting over a bowl of popcorn. Kaiba chooses Ganondorf. Yami chooses Link. Mokuba chooses Young Link. Himeko chooses Zelda. (AN: Check it out. A Legend of Zelda battle. Oh, well. ^_^) The fight starts. Yami and Kaiba go straight after each other. Mokuba and Himeko fight each other, atleast until Kaiba and Yami's percentage get high. It's interesting how those two seem to have teamed up against Yami and Kaiba. Suddenly, I notice something's missing.  
"Hey Shizuka, where's Bakura?" I whisper. She looks at me and blinks.  
"Hey, you're right. He isn't here," she whispers back to me.  
"It's weird. Why doesn't Bakura hang out with us anymore?" 

*Bakura's POV*  
I'm sitting on the park bench. The sun has set. The moon and stars are out. Anzu's house is only a few blocks away. I told them I would come, but it's too much a temptation for my yami. He returned from the Shadow Realm a few weeks ago. Yami Yugi's attack had severely weakend his power, so he was forced to recuperate in the Shadow Realm. Now, he's back, and at full power. I know he'll do anything to get Yugi's puzzle. I sigh softly. Looks like I've become a liar once more. A few raindrops splash on my forehead. It'll be a real downpour soon. I stand up, fix my jacket, and start walking home. I throw one more glance at Anzu's house. And I'm alone, too. 

Himeko: Ooh! Gamecube! Gamecube! Me want Gamecube!  
Jade: *eyes YH* What did you just give her?  
Yami Himeko: *whistles casually*  
Jade: Well?!  
Yami Himeko: *smirks and pulls out a can* It's just a coke.  
Jade: *snatches can and pulls off label* Hyper Juice? Only ingredients are caffeine, sugar, and water?  
Himeko: Pixie sticks! *bounces up and down, dumping pixie sugar in her hair* Think happy thoughts! Fly to NeverNever Land! Be a kid forever!  
Jade: Oh, dear. Please review!

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Honda- Tristan (Jpn/Dub)  
Shizuka- Serenity(Jpn/Dub)  
Otogi- Duke(Jpn/Dub)  
(I plan to cut down on Jpn language.)


	7. Chapter 6: The Ghost in the Picture

Jade:** I AM NOT DEAD! I LIVE!**  
Himeko: Yippee! Jade-chan's back!  
Yami Himeko: What excuse have you got for us this time?  
Jade: None. I was just plain not in the mood. I wouldn't be surprised if I didn't get a single review for this, but be nice to me plz? Besides YH would kill me if I didn't update.  
Yami Himeko: You've got that right. *evil grin*  
Jade: *sweatdrop* Well, I want to thank ahead of time for anybody who still stick along with this. Thank you my lovely reviewers!  
Disclaimer: If Jade owned Yu-Gi-Oh! it would go bankrupt. So, it's a good thing she doesn't.  
Jade: *pulls out tape recorder* Note to self: Get a new guy to do the disclaimer.

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_The Ghost in the Picture_**

*Himeko's POV*

"Young Link wins!" the announcer in the game shouts. Mokuba beams widely. Yami and Kaiba blink a few times. Actually Mokuba and I had to go into sudden death. I went easy on the kid to make him happy. Yami and Kaiba tied for third, but who needs to sudden death for that? The whole room is silent. Then they burst in laughter.

"Looks like the King of Games has been dethroned!" Ryuuji suddenly pouts. "I wanted to do that." The laughter gets louder with that. I couldn't help but laugh, too. I still remember that broadcast. He was so intent on beating Yami.

"Hail me! The new King of Games!" Mokuba jumps up and shouts.

"And me! The Queen of Games!" I jump up and shout as well.

"Now there's a freaky couple," Katsuya states. I feel my cheeks burn. Me with a pre-teen? Get serious! "Maybe not that freaky. You're both the same size, and ya got da same hair!" Everyone else laughs.

"Congratulations on the new boyfriend, hon!" Mai calls out.

"Unh uh. Nope. I don't make boyfriends after knowing a boy for thirty minutes." I wave my finger in the air. Everyone laughs. I guess everyone's got the giggles. Well, it is fun to laugh, though.

"How about a one on one match, Yami?" Kaiba says suddenly. Yami smirks his reply. A bunch of sighs fill the room. I guess they do this alot. I walk over to the table covered in junk food. I start dumping some Doritos in my bowl. Mmmmm....cheesy. Something sparkles in the corner of my eye. A small picture frame. The glare from the glass had been reflected into my eye. I walk over to take a closer look at it. The entire group in the living room. That's what it portrays. The glare blocks of the corner of the picture. It cuts off Hiroto's head. I stand on my tip toes, and stretch my hand to pull it down from the shelf. Now I can see what the glare is trying to hide. It's a boy, pale as snow with hair to match. He seemed to be so far from the group, like he didn't belong. Just a ghost that walks amongst human, hoping to be noticed. The glass cracks across his empty, amber eyes, and the room is smothered in darkness. 

_Where am I? It's so dark here. I can hear the rain pelt the street. I'm not getting wet, nor can I feel the wind. So, I'm indoors atleast. A moan reverberates through the walls. A very ghastly moan. Oh Ra...this is creepy. I bring my shaking hands to my chest. Why does it hurt? Why does my chest hurt? C'mon Himeko. It's okay. It's just a really freaky vision. That's all it is. The moan pierces through the darkness again. I felt a shiver trail up my spine. I think there's something else here, too. Something else, besides the moaning. I don't know what, but I'll find out. Slowly, I walk through the darkness. One hand touching a wall. The other in front of my face to lessen my chances of walking smack into something and being sent to the hospital. I walk slowly and carefully as my eyes gradually adjust. My hand slides off the wall. Must be a corner. I feel for it again and continue walking. My foot hits something. It's only the stairs. One hand on the railing. The other on the wall. My feet moving slowly as I work my way up the steps. Soon I reach solid floor. The moan is coming from my left. I feel my way over and slowly push the door open. There are two figures inside this room. One on the ground. One standing. The standing one raises his arm. I can barely make out a thin curve where his hand is. A thin curve? Oh shit. A knife! He brings it down and another moan fills my ears. _

"No..." I whisper as he repeats his action, "No! Stop it!" The figure on the floor looks at me. Suddenly, I can see it, er...him clear as day. The rest of room filled in darkness while he radiated light. It's that boy. The one from the picture. The other figure turns around when he notices the boy's gaze. It's eyes glow red, like my yami. Oh double shit.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" The voice booms. I could've sworn that shook the room. I hear a loud growl as the figure walks toward me. Oh triple shit.

"Himeko!" A high-pitched yell fills my ears. I sit up-right immediately. Adrenaline coursed through my body. My chest heaves as I breathe deeply. "Oh thank God!" It's only Anzu. She places her hand on her forehead, and breathes deeply. She removes it and smiles at me. "You scared me for a second there. You wouldn't wake up at all. I was about to call the hospital."

"Gomen nasai," I smile, "See? I'm fine." My fingers brushes against something smooth as I try to stand up. I turn my head. Broken glass and a picture frame. "I'm sorry I broke your picture frame." I bow slightly as I apologize.

"It's okay. The picture didn't get torn. See?" She puts it in my face. My eyes widen. The boy is now in the front of the picture. Not the back. He looked alive and happy. Not good. Not good at all.

"Who's this other boy?" I ask.

"Oh, that's Bakura. He's a friend of ours. However..." she trailed off. I narrow my eyes.

"However?" I cross my arms over my chest.

"Well, he hasn't been hanging out with us recently. He always has someplace to go, or something to do. Something about spending more time with his father." My face fell when I heard the word 'father.' My father's smile flashed through my mind. I shake my head very slightly, so Anzu wouldn't notice. Get back on track. You don't have time to grieve, Himeko. Is it possible that the other figure could be his father? No way. Those eyes are way too much like a yami's. I place my hand under my chin as I think. Does Bakura own a millenium item? There's no way I can ask Anzu. If she knows about these trinkets then that may blow Yami-sama's cover. I can't let her know I have one, too. I sigh softly. Damn it, what should I do?

"Ah Anzu-san, where's your bathroom?" I smile innocently.

*Yami Himeko's POV*

The wall of my soul room is covered in pictures. Hieroglyphs that tell my life's story. My birth, my death. My pain. I re-read it over and over. How the pharaoh used me. How the tomb robber tricked me. How the high priest betrayed me. I hate them. I hate them all. All of them will pay, but the pharaoh shall suffer the most of my wrath. I feel so giddy. So ecstatic. Of course, it's impossible to kill since they're spirits who can take on an almost human form. I've found the pharaoh. I've found the high priest. All that was left was the tomb robber. Maybe I should find the seer, and the keeper as well. They knew what they were doing to me. All they did was stand by and watch, since it was the PHARAOH's orders. In fact the only one who even tried to help me was the judge. I wonder what his descendant is like. I hope he's kind, too. I lay back on my bed with my arms behind my head. I stare at the ceiling. No pictures there. Just the unknown emptiness. There's a light rap on my door. Not now, aibou. I'm tired. I close my eyes, but a louder rap snaps them open. I sigh as I stomp over to my door. This kid better have a GOOD reason to bother me while I'm trying to relax. The torches in my room go out as I open the door. I can't let her see these drawings. I open the door wide and stare down at her with my most menacing glare. She shies back a minute. Then she brings herself up with a fire burning in her eyes. Determination.

"What do you want, pest?" She flinches at my words. The fire remains. I'm surprised I haven't slapped her yet for making eye contact. There's something in that fire. Something that peaks my curiousity. What could bother this brat so much that she'd try to talk face to face with me?

"In your past....did you know a person by the name of....Bakura?" My eyes snap open. Bakura, the tomb robber?

"Why do you want know?" I tried to put some malice into my voice, but I failed. I'm just too damn curious.

"Bakura is one of Yugi's friends. If that person who hurt him was his yami...." she starts to sniffle and brings her hands to her eyes.

"Must be the tomb robber. Let him do what he wants to his hikari for all I care," I turn around to go back to my bed, but I feel a tug at my vest. What the hell is she doing?

"I saw his face. It was cut up with blood and tears trailing down his cheeks. He hurts him physically, Yami-sama! He doesn't just beat him in his soul room, like you do with me! He beats him in his house, so his blood can stain the carpet!" I didn't move as she cried.

"So, what's your point?" I say at last. She releases my vest and just stands there silently. I don't move at all. I wonder how she'll respond.

"H-How can you be so cold?" she says at last. I smirk.

"Because that's the kind of person I am, hikari." I feel that strange drunk and dizzy combo. I wanna see her bleed...

"Yami-sama.." she falls to her knees. Her head low to the floor with her hands in front of her. "Please, help him. I beg of you."

"You're begging me? What the hell am I supposed to get in return?"

"Anything," Her voice is strained as she spoke through clenched teeth. Anything...I smirk. Why not kill two birds with one stone?

"Can I have the tomb robber?" I ask coyly. Her head shoots straight up.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"That tomb robber did something very mean to me. I just want to return the favor." Her trembling form shook. "So choose, little one. Let the hikari suffer under his yami's hand, or have his yami suffer under mine." 

Yami Himeko: Nicely done. *getting into drunk and dizzy combo*  
Jade: Yeah, well, this would've been longer, but this seemed like such a good cliffie! I'd like to get atleast one review, so I'll know someone's reading before I post the next chapter! Oh yeah, tell me if you prefer the more spacious format I've got or should I stick with the style from the last chapters.  
Himeko: Uh, Jade-chan?!  
Jade: *turns head and sees YH walking towards Himeko with a knife.* Oh quadruple shit.

Jap/Eng Guide:  
None what so ever. Wow.


	8. Chapter 7: Mix N' Match

Jade: **Note: When they say senior year is tough, it IS.**  
YH: Unless you plan to drop out.  
Jade: Well, I don't plan to drop out. This should have been up last week, but I had way too much homework. :(  
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi who must be making millions off this show. Himeko and her yami belong to Jade, who doesn't recieve a dime.  
Jade: Damn.

**Warning: A great amount of dirty mouths in the beginning of this chapter. *goes to get soap***

/Hikari to Yami/  
//Yami to Hikari//

**_Mix N' Match_**

*Yami Bakura's POV*

What the hell was that? People don't just disappear! That hair and those eyes, I wonder...Couldn't be. That figure was too feminine to be Yugi or the Pharaoh. I can hear my yadounshi whimpering on the floor behind me. Pathetic. I stomp over to it and give it a hard kick in the ribs.

"Shut up!" I yell to add to the force. It grits it's teeth, fighting back it's scream. I growl as I grab it's long, snow-white hair. It yelps as I pull it back, leaving his neck vulnerable. I place my knife at his throat. "You're not going to go against my orders again, are you?" It's head shakes. My knife nicks it's neck. I brush the knife along it's skin. Not hard enough to draw blood. Just enough to frighten him. "I don't believe you." I start pushing the blade against it's neck, in an area it wouldn't die from bleeding. Don't need this thing to go to the hospital again. Crimson tears spill onto my knife and trail down it's chest. It whimpers again. Maybe I should try going a little deeper....

"HEY, TOMB ROBBER!" a deep feminine voice bellows into my room. The knife fell from my hands. Who the hell? "I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE, YOU BASTARD!" she yells again. I snarl softly and stand up.

"Don't move, yadounshi," I order the thing on my floor. What kind of girl would know about me?

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" And what an annoying voice she has, too. Damn.

"SHUT UP! I'M COMING, BITCH!" I yell into the hall and stomp downstairs.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU CALL ME?!" Ah, there she is, leaning against the wall with a smirk, and her arms crossed over her chest. Damn, she looks like the pharaoh. Did he have a sex change or something?

"I CALLED YOU 'BITCH', BITCH!" I yell at her face. She waves her hand in front of her face.

"Whew, somebody needs a mint," she smirks at me. "So, do you know who I am, tomb robber?"

"Unless Yami had a sex change, I have no fucking idea," I growl. She gives me a smile that has often graced my lips.

"Puuurrrfect," she purrs,"I could have you right now, but it'd be so boring just to knock you out. So, let's play a game first." That smirk is too much like the Pharaoh.

"You think you could knock me out?" I retort with another smirk. She pushes back her hair, revealing a golden earring, with a very familiar symbol on it. "What the fuck?" It glows brightly and a beam shoots out of the eye and hits me in the forehead. My head pulls back. Damn, that hurt!

"I can do alot of things. Read minds. Go into your soul room. Locate the other millenium items. See the future and the past. Of course they're not as strong as the original millenium items, but once I find the seal. Well, let's just say that will change."

"There's an eighth millenium item?" I stare in disbelief at the earring. "Why didn't my ring sense it?"

"Simple, I put up a shield around it. I don't need the pharaoh to sense it, too." She steps toward me. "So, are you going to play, or am I going to have to use my powers on you?" Those eyes. They're different from the pharaoh. They're not fearless or commanding. They look almost insane. I let out a low growl.

"Fine, I'll play your game."

"Puuurrrfect," she purrs again. 

"Knock it off with those goddamn purrs already! They're fucking annoying!" I snarl. She responds with another purr. Fucking bitch. She brings her hand up in front of her face and snaps her fingers. The room grows dark. The air has an all too familiar feel to it. The Shadow Realm...

"These are the terms. If you win you can keep my earring, but if I win I get to keep YOU," she hesitates before letting out another purr. 

"I don't know what you want from me, but I accept your terms." _....They're not as strong as the original millenium items..._ That's what she said. So, this eighth one is s'pposed to have the powers of the seven millenium items? They're not as strong as the originals, but they can be quite useful. A wicked grin spreads on my lips. I just have to win a measly little game to get that millenium item.

"Puuurrrfect," she snaps her fingers again. A large table appears in between us. Duel monster cards are set facedown in a pattern. "Tell me, Bakura, have you ever played the mortals' game of Concentration?" Concentration? What the hell is that? "I guess that would be a no. In Concentration you have to flip over two cards at a time and try to get a match. In the mortals' game, the one who gets the most matches, or the one who finishes their side first would win. Naturally, that's not the case here." She points above my head. I look up and see a glowing green bar above my head. "Since we're using a deck of Duel monster cards, instead of normal cards, we have a life bar. When that bar runs out, you lose. Now, how do I diminish my opponent's life bar you may ask? Simple: When you make a match, that duel monster will automatically be summoned, and will attack your opponent. Those cards will disappear afterwards. However, if you don't make a match the monsters will form together and attack YOU instead. The cards will then become facedown again, waiting to be summoned." So, this is basically a game of luck and memory? Well, no matter. I'll still win.

"Very well, let's begin."

"Slow down, tomb robber. There's one more thing I'm adding to this game," she snaps her fingers. A transparent, smaller version of this woman appears a few feet behind her. The girl's eyes are filled with confusion. She looks at me and quickly looks away. I turn my head. My yadounshi is here as well. 

"Your hikari, I believe?" I gesture towards the girl.

"That's right. They can't hear us and we can't hear them. We are only able to talk through our mind links. A barrier surrounds them, so they can't come to us and we can't go to them. THEY have the ability to see which card is which. However, they are still allowed to lie, and thanks to that barrier we can't do anything about. They've been told that the loser will be forever imprisoned within the Shadow Realm. I believe neither of our lights like us that much, so neither of us have an advantage. If either of us tries to tell them the true terms of this battle, then that person as well as the hikari will be meeting with Anubis real soon."

"What's the point in bringing them here, if our lights would be happy to see us forever imprisoned in this void?" Silence reigns for a moment. At last she lets out a sigh and shrugs.

"Because I feel like it," she gives me a weird smile.

"Whatever, let's just start this game." She nods in agreement. Her finger floats above the cards, before she brings it down on one to her left side and flips over The Happy Lover. Hmmm...I flip over the card in the exact middle, The Wall Shadow. She hesitates before flipping over a card in the bottam row, Celtic Guardian. The monsters rose from their cards. They started to glow and merged together into one of the most grotesque things I've seen in my life. The Celtic Guardian still has the same attire, except it's PINK! A big red heart is imprinted on his cape and helm. Large pink wings spread from his back, and the hilt of his sword is in the shape of a heart. He turned and slashed his sword at my opponent. She yelps in pain and clutches her shoulder as he splits in two and returns to the cards.

"Damn," she curses. Her body trembles.Weird noises fill the area, emitting from her. She throws her head back and laughs. "That has to be the STUPIDEST-LOOKING CELTIC GUARDIAN I've ever seen!" She turns her head and smiles at her hikari mischievously. She turns towards me, still laughing. "Okay, okay! Your turn!" I raise my eyebrow. What a weird woman. I turn my attention back to the cards.

/Third card from the right....second from the top./

//Shut up, yadounshi!// A mental gasp passes through my head. //I'm going to do this by myself!//

/But Yami!/

//Master, you insolent brat!// I slam my hand down on a card on the left side, near the bottam and flip it over. Shit! The Mystical Elf! The monsters rise and glow. They merge together into an overgrown blue bug with hair, wearing a dress and a tiara. It snarls at me before it brings down it's claw. It rakes across my chest. My hand automatically goes there as it disappears back into it's original cards. I loom at the bars above our heads. Both are one-sixth of the way down.

*Himeko's POV*

I watch as my yami flips over another card, grimacing from her shoulder wound. It's the Buster Blader. Bakura's yami flips over a card as well. The Mystical Elf! How lucky could he get?! He smirks knowingly.

//Hikari, I need another Buster Blader in order to block his Mystical Elf.//

/Uh, right./ I glance at the cards and spot Buster Blader and the Kuriboh right next to it. /The card in the top left corner./ She places her hand over Kuriboh and flips it over. The cards merge into a Buster Blader with a seriously bad hair day. His paws grasp the sword as he brings it down on my yami's other shoulder. I wince at her scream. Bakura's yami smirks as he flips over his previous Mystical Elf. It forms together perfectly and scratches Yami-sama's face. She screams again. A smile returns to her lips quickly. I can hear her chuckle through our link. Is she delirious? The loss of blood must be messing with her head!

"Seems I'm already halfway down," she chuckles. Bakura's yami smirks. He has the edge. He'll keep that edge, too. Yami-sama knows I'm lying, so why does she keep listening to me? She flips over another card, Gemini Elf. She smiles broadly. One of our favorite cards, second only to Dark Magician Girl. Bakura's yami flips over another card. It's the Change of Heart.

//So, which is it, aibou?//

/Uh...I..../ I mentally blink. Did she just call me aibou? It didn't sound...sarcastic.

//I'm counting on you, aibou.//

/Why? You know I'm just lying. So, why do you keep asking me?/

//You have never betrayed me before.// She hesitates for a minute. //You're the only one who has never betrayed me. I trust you, little hikari.// A mental chuckle fills our link. //I don't blame you, if you wish for me to spend the rest of my days in the Shadow Realm.//

/Demo! I don't want you to go to the Shadow Realm!/

//You don't want....// I can feel her shock through our link. //If that's true, then why do you wish for me to lose?//

/I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO LOSE! PLEASE CALL OFF THIS GAME!/ Silence reigns betweens us. Bakura's yami is talking to my yami, but I can't hear him.

//I can't do that, aibou. Once the game starts, there is no going back.// I hear her sigh. //So, are you going to tell me where the other Gemini Elf is, or am I getting a one-way ticket to the Shadow Realm?//

/I....I..../ I look across the room at the other hikari. Bakura looks distressed and he's crying. Does he want to send his yami to the Shadow Realm? Nobody deserves such a cruel fate, but if that's what he wants... /Third card from the right, in the top row./ She flips over the card. The Gemini Elves merge together and set up a defense incase Bakura's yami pulls another Curse of Dragon. The elves' faces change in front of my eyes. Yami-sama and me?! I close my eyes and shake my head. When I open them, they're the normal faces of the Gemini Elf. _You have never betrayed me....the only one who has never betrayed me...._ Those were her words. I can feel the guilt mount in my chest. We are partners, if not friends. We need to have some sort of trust between us. But...everything she's done to me. My father, her threats, her beatings... Why can't I HATE her?! I clench my fists in frustration. My nails digging into my palm. My eyes shut tightly.

_Nooooooooooo!_ My eyes snap open. Bakura?! I look over to Bakura who is pounding his invisible barrier. I can hear him screaming in my mind. Why? Why can I hear him? I look towards his yami whose hand is on top of a card, about to flip it over. The sound of glass shattering fills my ears and my head snaps back towards Bakura. The fragments of the barrier sprayed around him. The shards cut across his skin. Yami Bakura snaps his head and looks at Bakura in shock as his hikari passed him and flipped over a card. The Change of Heart rose from his card and merged with the other one. He leaps into the Gemini Elf

*Yami Himeko's POV*

The possessed Gemini Elf looks at me coldly. I wince as the smaller one reminds me of my hikari. The way she's looking at me. Why does it bother me? Then they attack me at the same time. A scream passes my lips and I clutch my chest. I look over at the tomb robber and his light. The tomb robber's eyes are filled with shock as Bakura's face was turned to the side, avoiding his yami's gaze. "You...You weren't lying?" the tomb robber whispers. The hikari doesn't make a motion or a sound. "Answer me, damnit!" he grabs his hikari by his shirt.

"N-No M-Master..." his hikari stutters, still avoiding eye contact.

"Why?!" his yami growled. Well, well... tomb robber is mad at his hikari because he was trying to help him win. People say I'm freaky...

"I don't know," he replies in a whisper. Yami Bakura's eyes widen. "I...I don't want you to go. I don't know why...I just don't..." Oh brother, I think I'm gonna be sick. I lower my head and let out a small cough.

"Sorry to interrupt such a touchy moment," I snap my fingers. The table, cards and my hikari's barrier disappear. "But you're hikari just broke the rules. Now I'll claim my prize."

"Please, don't!" Both lights scream at the same time. I turn my head towards my hikari. Her eyes glazed by unshed tears.

"Since you could not choose which one you wanted to spare, I am entitled to do whatever I'd like with them," I smirk.

~Flashback~  
_ "So choose, little one. Let the hikari suffer under his yami's hand, or have his yami suffer under mine."_

"I....I...."

"I don't have all day." I cross my arms and tap my foot impatiently. My hikari shook violently and glared at me.

"That isn't a FAIR choice!"

"Sounds fair to me. The hikari is spared and the yami is mine."

"It's not fair! I can't just CHOOSE!"

"Very well. I'll choose for you." I wink at her. A smirk spreads on my face as her eyes widen in fear.  
~End Flashback~

I snap my fingers again. The Shadow Realm fades away as well as my whiny light. The pathetic hikari, Bakura, is unconcious on the floor. Bakura's yami continues looking over his hikari. His eyes with confusion clearly expressed in them. Aw, jeez. Why am I concerning myself over those two? 

"So tomb robber, what should I do with you?" I bring my finger to my cheek as I think. "Hmmmm....maybe I should cut you up like a fish? Or how about I hang you from the ceiling and use you as a punching bag?" His stone-like gaze remained on his hikari, which is really aggravating. I flip my golden bangs and smirk. "Oh and of course, the hikari DID break the rules. Therefore, he shall recieve a game penalty," I raise my hand in front of me. Bakura's yami turns and glares at me.

"Leave my yadounshi out of this!" he growls. I hold my pose. One 'Mind Crush' is all it'd have to take.

"Memory Wipe!" My hand glows with a golden aura that encircles Bakura. "I was originally planning that after I had my fun with you, I would send you to the Shadow Realm and permanently destroy the Millenium Ring," I walk over to him, "but this intrigues me." I stand up on my tip-toes, so our faces almost touch nose to nose. My eyes narrow. My right hand instantly goes to his neck and I wrap my fingers around it, digging my nails into his pale flesh.

"_Two souls be bound to only one. The wrongs of a bound one shall doom them both to the abyss._" I release my grip.

"What was that?"

"A curse, my dear slave. You shall obey my commands, or my curse will send both of you to the Shadow Realm," I cross my arms. "First, you must never speak of my existence and the existence of the Millenium Earring to anyone, which includes your light." He nods reluctantly. "Good boy." I run my hand through his long silver hair. "Kierei....Now hold still." I lean in and kiss him hard. My teeth bite on his lips, drawing blood. I can feel his body tense. I pull his jaw down, allowing me entrance as I taste him. Metallic. He tastes like fresh blood. I pull his head closer, deepening the kiss. Ah! My chest! What? What's going on?! 

_I'm alone. It's dark in here. This isn't the Shadow Realm. Where am I? "Hello! Is anyone here? Tomb robber!" I yell through the darkness. Light quickly floods my eyes. I slowly open them as the light dims. A tablet? The Change of Heart? Demo...that face... Tomb robber? I place my hand on the engraving of the heart he holds in his hands. It's warm....I close my eyes._

"What are you doing in the Pharaoh's treasure chambers?"

"What are you doing here? Aren't you the Pharaoh's pet?"

"I can go anywhere I want within this castle. Thieves like you shouldn't even exist in this realm!"

"Hrmph. It's the Pharaoh who shouldn't exist! Do you even know what a slave goes through day after day?!"

"...................Yes."

I'm back, and I'm kissing the tomb robber. His eyes still wide. I'm sure my eyes were, too. I pull away from him and look him over carefully. "I'll spare you from the rest of my plans for tonight." My voice drips in venom as my eyes mimic sadism. I fade away to my distant, sleeping hikari's millenium item.

I would have trouble sleeping tonight. In the corner of my ceiling is a drawing of the tomb robber and I in the Pharaoh's treasure chamber.... 

Jade: A plot comes into play next chapter! (Randomness just gets boring after a while.) I'm too lazy to do anything creative in these notes right now.  
Himeko: *innocent eyes* You haven't done any creative notes.  
Jade: Don't remind me. 

Jap/Eng Guide:  
Yadounshi- Property  
Kierei (na)-Pretty, Beautiful


End file.
